You’ll also notice that we’re giving New York Today a redesign, in hopes of making our newsletter even more helpful as you begin your day.

Consider New York Today a running conversation about what is, and is not, working in New York.

Here are some of the big themes I’m going to explore in this space:

Politics: Democrats have taken complete control of New York State government for the first time in a while. That is going to affect a wide array of issues, from charter schools to rent regulation to the legalization of recreational marijuana. We’ll be following along closely.

Transportation: How people move — by car or bus, on trains, scooters, over bridges and all across our city — is obviously of vital importance. The subways (and mass transit in general) are the veins and arteries of New York. If they’re clogged, we’re in trouble.

Information: How we get news, the shrinking of local journalism, and the vast expansion of Google, Facebook and Twitter are changing how we relate to those around us.

I’m hoping that New York Today can help you to navigate this landscape.

The field: Those who have declared include Jumaane Williams, the city councilman from Brooklyn who ran for lieutenant governor; Michael Blake, the assemblyman from the Bronx who is vice-chair of the national Democratic Party; and the activist Nomiki Konst.

Confirmed attendees at Monday’s candidate forum include Melissa Mark-Viverito, the former Council speaker; Daniel O’Donnell, a New York assemblyman; and Rafael Espinal, another city councilman from Brooklyn.

Newest candidate: Here in New York Today, Dawn Smalls is announcing her candidacy, becoming the fourth official participant in the race, reports my Times colleague Shane Goldmacher.

Ms. Smalls, who served as a policy aide on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, is a lawyer and lives in Manhattan.

Her issues: The subways, affordable housing, homelessness and “democracy reforms.” As for the job, “It’s a check on the mayor, it’s a check on the government, it’s a check on city services,” she said.

3. El Chapo’s trial begins in Brooklyn

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Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo, arriving at Long Island MacArthur Airport in January 2017. Opening statements in his trial will start on Tuesday.CreditU.S. law enforcement, via Associated Press

Even as the Mexican police jet started its descent into Long Island, Joaquín Guzmán Loera had no idea where he was going….

But as an airport glimmered on the ground outside his window, Mr. Guzmán — shackled, handcuffed and in the care of two American law enforcement agents — anxiously asked where he was being was taken, according to a person briefed on the trip.

“Bienvenido á New York,” one of the Americans said.

El Chapo terrorized his native Mexico for decades. So why is he being tried in Brooklyn?

“The Brooklyn indictment, originally filed in 2009, stems from a series of obscure contract killings that occurred in New York in the early 1990s,” Alan writes.

4. National charter school movement has an Albany problem

Charter school advocates used to consider New York a testing ground: If they could make it in deep blue New York, they could make it anywhere, writes The Times’s Eliza Shapiro. Now, that’s about to change:

“…the election on Tuesday strongly suggested that the golden era of charter schools is over in New York. The insurgent Democrats who were at the forefront of the party’s successful effort to take over the State Senate have repeatedly expressed hostility to the movement.

…it seems highly likely that a New York Legislature entirely under Democratic control will restrict the number of new charter schools that can open, and tighten regulations on existing ones.”

Governor Cuomo also recently softened his support for charter schools as he eyes a potential White House bid.

5. Scenes from Veterans Day

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Thousands of veterans, active military members, reserve personnel and supporters marched up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan for New York City’s annual Veterans Day Parade.CreditDave Sanders for The New York Times

6. More on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Washington apartment hunt

Catch up: In an interview last week, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told me, “I have three months without a salary before I’m a member of Congress. So, how do I get an apartment? Those little things are very real.”

Those comments went viral. Supporters began offering to help out. She asked them to instead donate to a local housing charity. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 29, a Democrat who represents a district in Queens and the Bronx, is the youngest woman to be elected to the House.

Additional info: Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has been drawing a salary from her campaign — nearly $5,000, according to election records, which is permitted under campaign finance rules. Her three months without a salary started after Election Day, when her campaign ended, a spokesman said.

The fallout: Besides receiving the support, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has also been sparring with Fox News.

Mail: The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund and send to P.O. Box 5193, New York, N.Y. 10087

About the Neediest Cases Fund: These stories, which are outside The Times’s paywall, “demonstrate the impact that even relatively small amounts of money can mean for people facing difficult circumstances,” a spokeswoman for the paper said.

8. What else is happening …

Shortcut to Amazon’s arrival?: Governor Cuomo plans to steer the Amazon HQ2 deal around the City Council… [Crain’s]

Two cities: … And Amazon, owned by the world’s richest man, wants to move next door to the Queensbridge Houses, the nation’s largest housing project. Residents there worry they’ll be left behind. [New York Times]

Why the long lines to vote: Elections in New York are poorly run because of structural problems with the city Board of Elections, election laws in the state, and poorly trained staff. [Gotham Gazette]